Convertible desk



Sept. 5 1933.

C. N. MILLER CONVERTIBLE DESK Filed Feb.

3 Sheets-Sheet l hzode A/V/IIZZ er lnuenlor s Sheets-Shec s Yfl/A Inventor Jhadel Miler warren stares rarsur cri ics 1* 7 1.9251771 CGNVERTIBLE DESK Claude N. Miller, Higley,

Ariz., assignor of one-third to William Miller, Higley, Ari'z. f Application February 11, 1%32. Serial No. 592,395

--2 Claims. (01. 45-70) This invention relates to the broad class of office furniture, and it has more specific reference to a convertible desk. 7 i

Considered more explicitly, the fundamental inventive conception comprehends a desk of conventional design and form having atiltable top movable from a normal horizontal position to a forwardly and downwardly inclined position, together with enicient structural features for permitting the desired results to be attained ina practical highly desirable manner.

The preferred embodiment of oiiice desk now generally employed is of well known form and includes a flat rectangular top and an appropriately fashioned base having sliding drawers and suitable appurtenances for accommodating office equipment and accessories.

It is submitted that a flattop desk is not always the most eflicient type for employees engaged in auditing and accounting work utilizing large books, or for draftsrnen copying from large blueprints and similar drawings.

With the foregoing objections in mind, I have revisedthe standard flattop desk .to include a top which is hingedly attached to the base structure at its forward edge, allowing the top to assume the desired angular position when required,

or returned to the normal horizontal position when not in use to provide the desired uniformity of appearance between the various desks in the office. i

Stated otherwise, I have developed a desk whose top may be used ina substantially flat horizontal state or adjusted to and maintained in a slight inclined position so that the same deskmay be conveniently used by employees engaged in different classes of work.

The specific structural features and relative association and arrangement will become more readily apparent from the following description and drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of a desk designed in accordance with the present inventive conception.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section on the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a transverse section in the upper portion of the desk showing the top tilted.

Figure 5 is a view like Figure 4 showing the section taken at a point to disclose the self-levelling section of the top.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the top showing said self-adjusting sections.

Figure"! is a bottom plan view of the adjustable section per se. v

v Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional View on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6 and is taken through the apertured portion of the top inwhich said adjustable section is located.

Figure 9 is an" enlarged the line 9--9 of Figure 3.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of one of the top lifting arms.

Figure 11 shows the adjusting shaft andworm and segment assembly.v

Figure l2 is a detailview of the outer end of the same shaft showing the disappearing handcrank. U j

Figure 13 is a section on. the line 13-13 of Figure 12.

detailed section on Figure 14 is a detail view of'one of the hinges.

base or body of the desk is generally repre-- sented' by the numeral 15 while the top is disting'uished by the numeral 16. The numerals 1'7 and 18 designate sliding drawers while the numeral 19 merely represents a foot rest.

The framework includes the customary corner post 20. and other details, all of which are conventionalso far as configuration, size, and proportions are concerned.

In orderto accommodate the. improvements of this invention it is believed that the parts willhave to be made stronger to withstand the additional strainfdeve1oped by the presence of this improved tiltable top arrangement'together with the hoisting and lowering mechanism therefor.-

In accordance with the present invention, the

. forward edge of the top 16 is connected with the front post of the base or body of the desk as indicated in Figure 1. The numerals 21 designate the hinges of which a sufiicient'number may be provided. Although these hinges may be constructed in such a manner as to be concealed within the interior of the desk, they are preferably of the design illustrated. Therefore each hinge comprises a straight leaf 22 pivotally joined to a substantially L-shaped leaf 23. The vertical leg of the latter leaf 23 is attached to the post so that the hinged joint is projected to a point not allowing the swingable end of the top to interfere with the opening of the sliding drawers. In other words, the hinged end of the top will not dip down into the path of sliding movement of said drawers. Moreover these hinges allow the top to swing to the desired angular or inclined position or to take the usual fiat horizontal position illustrated in Figure 3.

Attached to the underside of the top near the rear swingable edge are suitable brackets 24 provided with lateral retaining pins 25 and co-operable with each bracket is an arcuate lifting or lowering cam or arm 26. This arm in the form of a substantially semi-circular slotted link having an eye 27hingedly mounted on a horizontal supporting rod 28. This rod is mounted in a plurality of supporting brackets 29.

In the arrangement seen in Figure 9, special end brackets are provided for supporting the ends of the rod 28 and the bracket comprises a right angled attaching member v30 having an eye equipped hanger 31 depending within the vicinity of the adjacent post. This rod is oscillated by manually controlled mechanism which as seen in Figure 11 comprises a segmental rack 32 fixedly mounted on the rod and having its teeth co-operating with a worm 33 on the rear end of the oscillatory operating shaft 34.

This shaft is mounted in suitable bearings, one of which is indicated at 35 in Figure 2. A dis appearing crank is slidably mounted on the outer end of the shaft and the crank comprises a suitable handle 36 having a slotted sleeve 37 mounted on the shaft 34 as indicated in Figure 12. The shaft carries a pin 38 whose ends extend into the slot 39. The handcrank may thus be moved to the full line position represented in Figure 12 and housed in a sheath-like casing 40 carried by the desk, or it may be slid out to the dotted line actuating position shown in the same figure to facilitate raising and lowering ofthe hinged top 16.

The aforesaid rod 28 may be designated as a rocker and the arcuate arms as rocker arms though said arms function more like cams for gradually raising or lowering the top 16 as the rod is oscillated through the medium of the gear- I now call attention to Figure 8 in which it will be observed that the rectangular opening 41 is formed at the top and at opposite ends of this opening and attached to the underside of the top are small bearings 42 which receive pintles 43 attached to opposite ends of the rectangular automaticallyadjustable or self-levelling section 44 of the top. This section is formed with a marginal ledge so that it fits down into 0 the opening as seen in Figure, 6, but it may also have the position represented in Figure 15.

Then as shown in Figure 5, I provide a pair of companion links 45 and 46 attached to the body and swingable section respectively so as to aid in sustaining this section 44 in a constantly level or horizontal position when the main section of the top is adjusted to the inclined state represented in Figure 5. The purpose of this part 44 is to serve as a support for an inkwell and other equipment to prevent the equipment from sliding off the top when it is adjusted to an inclined position.

I have found by experimenting, and it can readily be conceived, that a change of desk top from horizontal to slanting position also causes a change in position of the worker. This change in position is restful, prevents fatigue to an extent, resulting in better efficiency. This is true not only when working with large books, prints, etc., but any or all Work. Alsowith the desk top raised the workers position changes to a more erect posture, which is no doubt, more healthful.

In actual practiceit is obvious that the mechanism will be so arranged as to recede nicely into the base of the desk, will be adjusted to operate with precision and otherwise arranged to be substantially out of the way and out of sight.

I claim:

1. In a structural arrangement of the class described, a base of substantiallyconventional design, a flat rectangular top hingedly connected along its forward edge to the corresponding edge portion of said base, raising and lowering means for the free swingable rear edge portion of the top, said top being formed with an opening, a relatively movable section arranged in said opening, and being substantially self-levelling and constantly maintained in a horizontal position irrespective of the position of the main section of the top, together with pivotally connected stay 115 links connected with said movable section and base to facilitate maintenance of the movable section in its predetermined level state.

2. In a convertible desk, a conventional base, a flat top hingedly connected along its front edge 120 to the corresponding frontal portion of the base,

a plurality of brackets carried by the base, a rod mounted for oscillation in said brackets, manually manipulated adjusting means for actuating the rod and varying the angle of the hinged top, 5 arcuate slotted cam arms carried by said rod, pin equipped brackets secured to the underside of thetcp, the pins extending into the slots of the arms for the purposes described.

' CLAUDE N. lWILLER; 

